How to make my own dovetail "guide"

[Bobby Slack]

Greetings. I don't mind making this guide with my mitre saw and table saw. I want to make this "hook". What is the best angle to gave 1-6? Any free plans out there? I want to attempt making my first hand dovetails with my new Lie-Nielsen saw.

Does the thickness of the drawer affect the angle? I saw a video at Shannon's website which was pretty good on a new way of making these dovetails by hand.

[jlloydparks]

Bobby,

You opened a can of worms on the angle. Current traditions are 1:6 (9.5 degrees) for softwoods and a 1:7 (8.1 degrees) or 1:8 (7.1 degrees) for hard woods. That being said I am engineer and like precision, however, I have recently adopted a what looks good attitude towards dovetails. I don't use a gauge I just eyeball it and try to make them consistent. If I don't cut them at exactly at the same angle it just adds to the handcut nature of the piece (it is not an excuse for gaps, but slight variations). That being said starting out it is nice to have a gauge to get to the eyeballing point. Just making something temporary and go with it.

I took a class with St. Roy (Roy Underhill) a year ago. He is a great guy. One of the best things that he did was pull out about five pieces of old furniture and made us measure the dovetails. They ranged from about 1:7 up to 1:4 (14 degrees). The pieces were all over 150 years old and were still holding together and no chipped pins or broken tails. There was no consistency in what was used. Hence why I have adopted the what looks good attitude. The thickness of stock really doesn't impact the angle, however, the size of the piece might change what looks good.

If you want to make one you can go the metallic route and buy some angle brass at McMaster (item# 9124K452) and just cut it out to one or all of the angles above and 'Bob's your uncle' instant dovetail gauge. Take a look at Derek Cohen's site for an example of this type.

Best of Luck, Josh

[PaulMarcel]

To me, thinner drawer stock requires a bigger angle to be visible or at least visible enough. I sometimes hypothesize that the difference off perpendicular is what the eye notices less than the actual slant. To explain that, if you put a square to mark a line on the endgrain, I think the eye keys off the amount the narrow side of a pin is off perpendicular. Thicker the board, the shallower the angle for the same visual effect. Dunno, just thinking aloud.

+1 to Derek's site; he makes a lot of fine tools and his sharpening treatise is worth the read, twice.

[Bobby Slack]

Paul-Marcel. Thank you for this input ... I am going off the deep end. I may never use my omnijig.

To me, thinner drawer stock requires a bigger angle to be visible or at least visible enough. I sometimes hypothesize that the difference off perpendicular is what the eye notices less than the actual slant. To explain that, if you put a square to mark a line on the endgrain, I think the eye keys off the amount the narrow side of a pin is off perpendicular. Thicker the board, the shallower the angle for the same visual effect. Dunno, just thinking aloud.

+1 to Derek's site; he makes a lot of fine tools and his sharpening treatise is worth the read, twice.

[Bobby Slack]

Hey Josh,

Thank you very much for the info. I just want something to reference from for my first ones and once I get comfortable I will probably do this by feel.

I get the uneven "look" which will make this more like hand made.

Bobby,

You opened a can of worms on the angle. Current traditions are 1:6 (9.5 degrees) for softwoods and a 1:7 (8.1 degrees) or 1:8 (7.1 degrees) for hard woods. That being said I am engineer and like precision, however, I have recently adopted a what looks good attitude towards dovetails. I don't use a gauge I just eyeball it and try to make them consistent. If I don't cut them at exactly at the same angle it just adds to the handcut nature of the piece (it is not an excuse for gaps, but slight variations). That being said starting out it is nice to have a gauge to get to the eyeballing point. Just making something temporary and go with it.

I took a class with St. Roy (Roy Underhill) a year ago. He is a great guy. One of the best things that he did was pull out about five pieces of old furniture and made us measure the dovetails. They ranged from about 1:7 up to 1:4 (14 degrees). The pieces were all over 150 years old and were still holding together and no chipped pins or broken tails. There was no consistency in what was used. Hence why I have adopted the what looks good attitude. The thickness of stock really doesn't impact the angle, however, the size of the piece might change what looks good.

If you want to make one you can go the metallic route and buy some angle brass at McMaster (item# 9124K452) and just cut it out to one or all of the angles above and 'Bob's your uncle' instant dovetail gauge. Take a look at Derek Cohen's site for an example of this type.

Best of Luck, Josh

[Mike M]

I won't get into the argument of the 'correct' angle - to each is own.

As far as making the guide, I started with a piece of 1" aluminum angle that I purchased at the local BORG. I used a piece of wood to support the strip while I cut off pieces on my miter saw which was set to the desired angle. The aluminum cuts easily with a carbide blade. A caress with a file for the sharp edges and I had a dovetail guide.

If you prefer, you could cut the aluminum on your table saw with a combo or crosscut blade.

[Bobby Slack]

Nice! I will get some right angle aluminum and go for it. Thanks

I won't get into the argument of the 'correct' angle - to each is own.

As far as making the guide, I started with a piece of 1" aluminum angle that I purchased at the local BORG. I used a piece of wood to support the strip while I cut off pieces on my miter saw which was set to the desired angle. The aluminum cuts easily with a carbide blade. A caress with a file for the sharp edges and I had a dovetail guide.

If you prefer, you could cut the aluminum on your table saw with a combo or crosscut blade.

[jhl.verona]

Another good question and excellent answers. Especially Josh and the link to Derek Cohen's site.

I can understand the mechanics, too small an angle means you don't have the mechanical strength, too great an angle and you risk splits/fractures forming in the tails, possibly the pins too. So between 7° and 14° according to taste seems to be the preferred answer.

Nice! I will get some right angle aluminum and go for it. Thanks

Brass will look better . Make two, and send me one. Then I can try dovetailing too

John

[kesac]

Greetings. I don't mind making this guide with my mitre saw and table saw. I want to make this "hook". What is the best angle to gave 1-6? Any free plans out there? I want to attempt making my first hand dovetails with my new Lie-Nielsen saw.

Does the thickness of the drawer affect the angle? I saw a video at Shannon's website which was pretty good on a new way of making these dovetails by hand.

Veritas makes couple of nice dovetail cutting guides. The saw they sell with it is too fine for cutting dovetails. You will like it with your L-N saw. I like 7° for most things. I some times make the center pin 7° on both sides , the next pair out board 7° on the inside and 8° on the outside, the next two, 7 and 9°, and get a nice "rising sun effect, that even my wife will recognise wasn't cut with any router.